Josie is our Pup of the Week

I have too many friends here at Rainbow Bridge who arrived because they ate something they shouldn’t.  Every day I stop by to see Brody and Romey.  Sometimes they are watching over their families.  Inevitably they will say “I wish I never ate that thing.”

But we dogs can’t help it.  Humans put squeakers in our toys.  Those little things drive us nuts.  We have to get them out.  When we finally find them our instincts take over and we gut that toy like a wolf with a rabbit.  Occasionally the urge is so strong we forget we aren’t a wolf and eat that whole toy.

Our parents get frustrated when we destroy toys, and they spend more money on stronger toys.  Now, let me take a minute to address these parents.  There is no such thing as a destruction proof toy.  Every toy has a weak spot that, when we find it, will, with a short bit of work, get us to the inside and that damn squeaker.  Big Dog Toy is never going to make a chewie that is indestructible because then you wouldn’t buy another toy and they want you buying toys.

Our very good friend Josie became a victim of Big Toy this week.  Her mom bought her a toy that was made from a fire hose.  “No dog can chew through this!” the salesman said.  But any motivated dog, including five pound me, missing half my teeth, can chew through a toy if inspired.

Josie, who has never been a toy eater, got inspired, destroyed the indestructible, and ate part of it.  A short while later she stopped eating, was restless, and wasn’t pooping.  Her mom became worried that her cancer had returned.  When Josie threw up a part of the fire hose toy, her parents had the answer.

Josie was rushed to the vet.  The toy had become stuck in the part of Josie’s intestines that had been removed when she had her cancer surgery.  It also gave her an infection.  The vet did not want to operate.  It would be very unsafe to take more of her intestines.

Josie is the head of a pack of eight dogs living on a farm in Illinois, and the leader of an even bigger online pack.  While her mom loves all eight dogs, Josie is her heart dog.  She and Josie fought very hard when Josie got cancer.  Through rallying the prayers of scores of friends and angels Josie survived to the delight of her many followers. Succumbing to a battle with a chew toy was not the way Josie was going to Rainbow Bridge.

Josie was brought to the vet on a Thursday.  On Friday the toy began to move.  The vet was confident that Josie would pass the toy on Friday and be able to go home.  But, when her dad arrived to bring her home the vet told him the passage had stalled.  If Josie didn’t pass the toy, she could be in a life-threatening situation.

So, we all began to pray, for one poop, for one immaculate poop.  We gathered around her like a father encouraging his pregnant wife to push out a child.  We chanted:  “Come on Josie, Push it out, shove it out, way out!”

After enough prayers and chants Josie pushed the toy out, and she was able to go home.  The crises had, quite literally, passed.  We had never rejoiced over a poop with such enthusiasm.

Luckily, I did not get to greet my friend at the Bridge this week.  We all know she was lucky.  And we give the Big Guy much thanks that she allowed Josie to stay with her wonderful mom.

And please, my dog friends, despite what your instinct may tell you, do not destroy and eat your chew toys.  Nothing good is going to come from it.  The best we can hope for is something bad is pushed out of it.

And you your parents, never trust an indestructible toy.  Nothing in your world in indestructible.  Least of all us dogs.